Obama returns to Fort Hood to honor victims of shooting spree

President Barack Obama returned to Fort Hood on Wednesday, for the second time in five years, to honor soldiers killed and injured during a tragic shooting spree that took place last week.

It all seems too familiar, as Obama spoke at a Fort Hood memorial ceremony just five years ago, after a mass attack that left 13 soldiers killed and over 30 injured, reports USA Today.

“They were members of a generation that has borne the burden of our security for more than a decade of war,” Obama said, as he honored the victims of the recent rampage that struck Fort Hood, according to The Associated Press.

This recent mass shooting left a total of four soldiers, including the gunman, dead and 13 others injured.

In front of the podium where Obama spoke were three sets of boots, rifles and Kevlar helmets which served as the “Fallen Soldier Memorial,” a tribute to the three soldiers killed.

"It is love, tested by tragedy, that brings us together again," Obama said.
"To the parents of these men, as a father I can't even fathom your anguish."

At the end of the ceremony, the soldiers stood for roll call and the names of the fallen soldiers were called out. Following military tradition, there was no reply. A trumpeter then played "Taps" and there was a 21-gun salute, according to The New York Times.

Army Spc. Ivan Lopez, the gunman, claimed he suffered a brain injury after a short time in Iraq in 2011, but officials have said his health condition was not a “direct participating factor” in the shooting.

“We must honor these men by doing more to care for our fellow Americans living with mental illness, civilian and military,” Obama said.